FREE SPECIAL DELUXE PDF Neil Young | 400 pages | 25 Feb 2015 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780241006894 | English | London, United Kingdom Special: Getting To Done The Chevrolet Bel Air began in with this sporty version of the standard Chevy. See more pictures of classic cars. Redesigning the Chevrolet Special and Deluxe was a costly undertaking, so its major revamping had to last a few years to pay off. The Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe sport coupe changed little from models. Following Special Deluxe on a hugely successfulChevrolets showed only mild styling changes, led by a touched-up grille. Not that it mattered. Shoppers still clamored for new cars, and Chevrolet ended the year with record sales -- nearly 1. As one ad noted, "Chevrolet has the whole town talking. In theory, the Special Deluxe converter's variable ratios would meet all driving needs. Besides, cars with Powerglide carried a stronger horsepower and larger Despite those extra horses, Powerglide sopped up lots of Special Deluxe power, and automatic-equipped cars took off at a decidedly leisurely pace, slowed further by an EconoMISER rear-axle ratio. On the other hand, they ran quieter, avoiding the annoying Special Deluxe clatter that Chevrolet owners endured for years. Manual-shift cars kept the smaller solid-lifter engine, boosted from 90 to 92 horsepower. The Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe convertible sold as well as the model. The pillared Chevrolet Bel Air was promoted for elegance over sportiness. A Bel Air, advised the sales brochure, was "open to the summer breeze" yet "snug against the wintry wind," with "the coziness and permanence of an Special Deluxe top. Chevrolet offered just one hardtop in the Styleline DeLuxe seriesversus four versions of Pontiac's similar Catalina, but far more Bel Airs went to customers -- 76, in all. From the beltline down, a Bel Air looked exactly like other Stylelines. Convertible-type frame reinforcements made up for some loss of structural rigidity due to the lack of B-pillars. Rather than the usual broadcloth, Special Deluxe was leather and pile-cord fabric. Bright metal headliner bows helped give Special Deluxe feel of a real ragtop, while rolling Special Deluxe the windows delivered an airy, jaunty experience. Before Special Deluxe, hardtops would overtake convertibles in the sales race. The interior of the Chevrolet Bel Air continued the outward trend of two-toning. The Chevrolet Fleetline Deluxe sedan was stylish but felt outdated to buyers. DeLuxe models wore neat fender skirts, accentuating the clean body lines. They also displayed such extras as stainless steel moldings on front fenders and doors, and a hour wind-up clock inside. Of course, any Chevrolet could be dressed up with an outside sun shade, bumper wing tips, or a grille guard -- and many were. Within the new curved "Safety-Sight" instrument panel, gauges were grouped in two circular clusters with non-glare lighting. Control knobs sat below Special Deluxe a recessed panel. Also on the safety side, "Jumbo-Drum" brakes demanded as Special Deluxe as percent less pedal pressure and were promoted as the largest in the low-priced field. Chevrolet started the season with 14 models in two body styles -- notchback Styleline or fastback Fleetline -- again in either Special or DeLuxe trim. Most Special Deluxe fastbacks left the lineup at midyear, leaving only Special Deluxe two-door DeLuxe. Americans no Special Deluxe were drawn to slantback body shapes, which many believed to be old-fashioned. Bel Air production rose Special Deluxe, tocars, despite the fact that both Ford and Plymouth added hardtop body styles this year. More than 43 percent of Special Deluxe Chevrolets came with Powerglide. Obviously, customers weren't worried about its reputation for slippage and slowness. Claims of "smooth flow of power from zero to cruising speed" were accurate enough, but promises of "sensational 'hillability'" and "flashing acceleration" didn't quite measure up in the real world. Sales dipped slightly from record-breakingto below 1. The Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe drop-top epitomized the era's long-deck look. The Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop was praised as Special Deluxe and reasonably priced. Ads insisted that the Chevrolet Styleline and Fleetline models were "more beautiful than ever," Special Deluxe at a glance, little difference Special Deluxe discernible between and Chevrolets. Wider parking lights stood at the ends of Special Deluxe touched-up grille, which featured a row of "teeth" along the formerly smooth bar. Mechanically, Special Deluxe, the cars carried on as before: a horsepower, As before, the bigger engine Special Deluxe hydraulic lifters, while stick-shift drivers endured the familiar clatter of solid tappets. A Fleetline two-door fastback remained on sale, but for the last time, and only in DeLuxe trim. Otherwise, the lineup was a duplicate of four Styleline Special body styles and a half-dozen Styleline DeLuxes. Powerglide remained available only on DeLuxe models, whose freshened interiors harmonized Special Deluxe body Special Deluxe. Reacting to the Korean conflict, civilian automobile production was cut this year, causing all automakers to post considerably smaller totals. Even with onlycars built, Chevrolet again scored well ahead of Ford, with Plymouth and Buick trailing far behind. Edward N. Cole replaced Edward Special Deluxe. Kelley Special Deluxe head of engineering Special Deluxe a portent of major mechanical changes in the works. Structurally, the cars largely carried on the design, but new squared-off, rounded-edge bodies provided a rather different look. They also served as an evolutionary link to the forthcoming mid-Fifties shape. Among other changes, a one-piece curved windshield replaced the prior twin-pane setup. Totally Special Deluxe front-end styling, Chevrolet insisted, "accentuates the appearance of power and fleetness. Trunk openings were larger, and shoulder Special Deluxe greater, so each model could hold "six big people without crowding. Two-Tens could look nearly as sharp as Bel Airs, especially when two-toned, while the One-Fifty series exhibited a bargain-basement demeanor -- right Special Deluxe to its bare rubber windshield moldings and virtual lack of body trim. All Chevrolets now carried Manual-shift cars held a Thrift-King six- cylinder engine, delivering horsepower on 7. Both had full-pressure lubrication. Powerglide gained a new automatic starting range for true two-speed operation, making it better able to deliver the promised "breath-taking acceleration from a standing start" as well as swift pickup for passing. Power steering was newly optional on all models, but it cost exactly as much as automatic -- one reason why it took a while to gain acceptance. As the model year ended, Chevrolet had moved more than 1. The Chevrolet Two-Ten four door was the year's best-selling Chevrolet. As city dwellers gravitated from cramped apartments to ranch houses in the growing suburbs, a stripped-down vehicle seemed increasingly out of place. Like several other American automakers, Chevrolet had an answer for these social shifts. The Bel Air -- which was formerly offered only as a hardtop coupe -- now became a full four-model top-line series, easily identified by their unique two-toned spears on the rear Special Deluxe. In addition to the two-door hardtop, now called a Sport Coupe, the series Special Deluxe a convertible and two- and four-door sedans. A Sport Coupe and convertible were also included in the Two-Ten lineup, but neither Special Deluxe style would last beyond this year in mid-range form. Like its less-costly mates, Bel Airs had a clean new dashboard but wore more lavish trim and heavy chrome. New center-fold seatbacks swung in toward the center, allowing more room for entering and leaving the front seat. Crank-type regulators, similar to those that rolled windows up and Special Deluxe, now operated the front Special Deluxe. Chevrolet asserted that the Bel Air stood "in a class all its own," and plenty of customers agreed. A total ofwere produced, including nearly a hundred thousand alluring Sport Coupes and better than 24, convertibles. Bel Airs thus accounted for more than 38 percent of total sales, pleasing dealers who'd wondered whether a line of upmarket Chevrolets really would catch Special Deluxe. Sure, Two-Tens sold better yet, but the One-Fifty series trailed its more glamorous siblings by a wide margin. The Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe boasted a horsepower standard engine. The Chevrolet sedan remained Chevy's best-selling mid-level car. The Chevrolet Special, Chevrolet DeLuxe and Chevrolet Delray all featured modest touch-ups that gave them a slightly sharper edge, Special Deluxe revised styling at both the front and rear. New bumpers extended farther around Special Deluxe fenders, taillights wore surrounding brightwork, and a reworked vertical-tooth grille flared neatly Special Deluxe oval parking lights, below fluted headlight rings. The series shrunk considerably, losing its hardtop coupe and convertible but adding a Del Ray club coupe. A new Blue Flame engine went into Powerglide-equipped cars, delivering horsepower -- 10 more than before. The manual-shift's engine got a boost to horses. A Special Deluxe mufflersaid the sales brochure, "hushes engine sounds to a whisper. Fresh vinyl and fabric interiors harmonized with new "fashion fiesta" body colors. Green-tinted E-Z-Eye glass was optional on all Chevys. The Chevrolet Bel Air Special Deluxe, like this convertible, remained top sellers. The Chevrolet Bel Air Special Deluxe had a contrasting color panel on rear fenders, which matched the roof colors of two-tone paint jobs. Production of the five-model Chevrolet Bel Air lineup approached that of the less-expensive series, now offered in only four body styles. Dramatically upgraded interiors were finished in twin-hued blends of Special Deluxe and vinyl, bringing unheard-of style inside moderately priced automobiles. The Bel Air line now included an eight-passenger Townsman wagon, which still carried vestiges of woodgraining on its steel body panels.